Persons are prohibited from smoking in buildings and in other public spaces to comply with health and fire safety concerns. Smokers must extinguish and discard their smoking products before entering such public spaces. Further, most public spaces accommodate smokers by providing designated public areas where smoking is permitted. Receptacles are provided in these areas to collect discarded smoking products. In the past, such receptacles have been in the form of ash trays filled with sand to snuff-out lit cigarettes and cigars. However, the ash trays often collected paper scraps and other flammable refuse, which heightened fire safety concerns. Further, the ash trays often spilled their contents, particularly while being emptied by persons performing routine maintenance. The ash trays that were exposed to the outdoors would be soaked with rain, making routine maintenance more difficult. Further, the ash trays exposed to the outdoors were damaged and tipped over by the wind.
Each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,454,122 and 6,626,322 discloses a refuse receptacle for discarded smoking products, according to which an enlarged chamber contains a collection bucket that can be emptied. A bonnet shields the collection chamber from rain. The collection chamber is molded with a complex shape to form a hooded cranny surrounding an opening that receives discarded smoking products. However, the complex shape adds unnecessary manufacturing cost.
Each of, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,531,248 and 1,569,603 and 1,681,025, discloses an enlarged ash tray that funnels discarded smoking products into a closed-bottom collection tube. The ash tray and the collection tube are detachable, to remove and empty the tube when filled with discarded smoking products. In each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,569,603 and 1,681,025, the tube is removed from an exterior sleeve that concentrically surrounds the entire length of the collection tube. The enlarged ash tray is easily tipped over in the wind, and would tend to collect flammable refuse when placed in a public area.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,167 discloses a refuse collection device that is fabricated by molding as few parts as possible to reduce packaging, storing and shipping costs. However, the collection device has a wide area receptacle, combined with an elongated slender section, which are shapes that are difficult to package with a simple packaging shape. Further, a slender streamlined design was not attainable by having a wide area receptacle.
Each of U.S. Design Pat. No. D428,192 and U.S. Design Pat. No. D82,929 S discloses a collection device with a monolithic exterior shape.
A disadvantage of a prior collection device is that a receptacle for collecting discarded smoking products is at ground level or floor level. Thus, a person performing routing maintenance must bend over one's self to remove the receptacle from the collection device and to empty the contents of the receptacle. Further, when the receptacle is not capable of disassembly from other parts of the collection device, the other parts add awkwardness and difficulty to the task of emptying the collection device. Further, a receptacle at ground level is difficult to re-assemble with the collection device, and is difficult to visually inspect without bending over one's self.
A desirable disposal unit for discarded smoking products would be shielded from the weather, and would have a substantially closed collection receptacle that is easily emptied. Further, the desired disposal unit would have a low cost, standardized construction, and would be easy to assemble and disassemble for routine maintenance, packaging and shipping. Further, a sleek and slender architectural profile is desired for a disposal unit on public display.